The invention relates generally to buckles, and more particularly to mating male and female buckle members for securing extremities of web-like materials.
Mating male and female buckle members are known generally and used widely, for example to secure extremities of web-like materials or straps used in child restraint harnesses, personal flotation devices, waste and back pack belts, head protection gear, and animal collars, among a variety of other applications.
Known prior art buckles include side release buckles of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,464 entitled "Buckle", assigned commonly herewith, comprising generally a male member with first and second resilient arms that are flexibly insertable into an accommodating recess of a female member. End portions of the resilient arms are retainably engageable in corresponding openings on opposing sides of the female member upon inserting the resilient arms into the recess thereof. To open, or release, the male and female members, the end portions of the male member are flexed inwardly to disengage from the openings of the female member, whereupon the male member may be withdrawn from the female member.
Known prior art buckles also include center release buckles of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,324 entitled "Center Release Buckle", also assigned commonly herewith, comprising generally a male member with a resilient tongue that is insertable into an accommodating recess of a female member. The resilient tongue includes a raised portion that is engageably retainable in an opening on a face of the female member upon inserting the resilient tongue into the recess of the female member. To release the male and female members, the resilient tongue of the male member is flexed inwardly by depressing the tongue to disengage the raised portion thereof from the opening of the female member, whereupon the male member may be withdrawn from the female member.
In these and other known prior art mating male and female buckle members, it is generally necessary to increase the overall size of the buckle to increase the strength of the locking mechanism. Increasing the size of the buckle however is not always desirable, and in many applications increasing the buckle size is not feasible due to weight, appearance, comfort, cost and other practical considerations.
It is generally desirable to provide buckles having a relatively strong locking mechanism and a relatively light or easily actuatable release mechanism, so long as the light release mechanism does not compromise the locking integrity of the buckle by opening inadvertently or accidently. The known prior art buckles however perform the locking and releasing functions with the same structure, for example with the resilient arms in side release buckles and with the resilient tongue in center release buckles. Generally, increasing the strength of the locking mechanism in the prior art buckles correspondingly increases the force required to open or release the buckle, which is undesirable.
The present invention is drawn toward advancements in the art of mating male and female buckle members that overcome problems in the art.
It is an object of the invention to provide novel mating male and female buckle members useable for securing extremities of web-like materials that are economical.
It is another object gf the invention to provide novel mating male and female buckle members with separate locking and releasing mechanisms, whereby the buckles have relatively strong locking characteristics and relatively easily operated releasing characteristics.
It is also an object of the invention to provide novel mating male and female buckle members having releasing mechanisms that do not compromise the strength and locking integrity of the buckle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide novel mating male and female buckle members that have relatively strong locking mechanisms without substantially increasing the overall size of the buckle.
It is still another object of the invention to provide novel mating male and female buckle members having separate locking and releasing mechanisms, whereby the releasing mechanism is located on and actuatable from opposing ends of the male and female buckle members.
It is a more particular object of the invention to provide novel buckles comprising generally a male member having a tongue and one or more tongue protrusions, with corresponding tongue engagement portions, extending from one or more side portions thereof, and a female member having a recess and one or more recess protrusions, with corresponding recess engagement portions, extending from one or more inner side portions thereof. A resilient spring member protruding from one of the tongue or the recess of the female member is engageable with the other of the recess or the tongue to laterally shift the tongue in the recess when the tongue engagement portions are inserted into the recess beyond the recess engagement portions, whereby the tongue engagement portions are engageable with the recess engagement portions to retain the tongue in the recess after the tongue is laterally shifted by the resilient spring member.
It is another more particular object of the invention to provide novel buckles comprising generally a male member having a tongue and one or more tongue protrusions, with corresponding tongue engagement portions, extending from one or more side portions thereof, and a female member having a recess and one or more recess protrusions, with corresponding recess engagement portions, extending from one or more inner side portions thereof. A first tongue end portion is accessible through a recess opening of the female member to laterally shift the tongue in the recess against a resilient spring member, and in some embodiments upon first flexing a locking member out of the recess, to disengage the tongue engagement portions from the recess engagement portions.
These and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the accompanying Drawings, which may be disproportionate for ease of understanding, wherein like structure and steps are referenced generally by corresponding numerals and indicators.